"Today with one voice we are here to say we will not tolerate discrimination in housing in Portland or in Oregon," Fish said. "As promised, it is bold and comprehensive and designed to get at the root of persistent problems in our community, which are barriers to housing choice."

The plan "represents the first time the city of Portland has placed fair housing issues at the top of the agenda," he said, and includes a broad coalition of local governments, tenant advocates and rental industry representatives.

If the City Council approves the plan, expected this summer, the city will:

Track access to city-run affordable housing by protected classes and work to increase that access

Invest in programs and services to gentrification and address housing disparities among communities of color

Advocate strict compliance with city policy that calls for setting aside at least 30 percent of money raised in most urban renewal areas for affordable housing

Find new affordable-housing funding sources

Several community members thanked Fish for his work and praised the plan.

"As an African American resident and Portland lawyer representing fair housing, this issue hits home for me," said Cashauna Hill, an attorney for the Oregon Law Center and a member of the committee that produced the impediments to fair housing analysis. "I support and appreciate Commissioner Fish's leadership."

"What was alarming was the response on the city's part," Dixon said. "How far would we have gotten during the civil rights movement if we had waited for the hearts and minds of people to change? I encourage you to enforce the law."

Trasviña agreed that government can't wait for hearts and minds to catch up with a 43-year-old federal law. He said many jurisdictions "are in complete denial when they get these tests" and his agency can hold up federal funds if it believes they aren't working seriously to enforce fair-housing laws.

"I am convinced the city of Portland has the will and the capacity to tackle this problem," he said. "It's not going to do it alone and not going to do it overnight."

But Trasviña said the media attention has been beneficial and that the city won't get a rubber stamp. "HUD will not necessarily bless the process today," he said. "We know what good practices are. We provide dollars. We want to see those dollars provide access to fair housing."

Still, it remains unclear whether the city will seek enforcement against discriminatory landlords found in future audits. When asked, Fish said: "It's certainly possible."